YOUR FAVORITE BAND IS KILLING ME

YOUR FAVORITE BAND IS KILLING ME breaks down age old (and some not so old) musical rivalries and gets to the bottom of which side is right, if there even is a right, via humor, pop-culture references, and personal stories.

This is not another book comparing the Stones to the Beatles, but one that takes the simple notion of a musical rivalry and turns it on its head. It’s impossible to compare one artist or band to another. Instead, Hyden uses the prism of music to show us how we as people and a culture project our own experiences, thoughts, and insecurities onto these artists. For instance, in his chapter about The Black Keys vs. The White Stripes, Hyden sizes up the very public feud between the two, seemingly similar, frontmen of each band and explores what this says about the abilities for grown men to make new male friends. Or, in his chapter about Miley Cyrus vs. Sinead O’Connor, Hyden explores what it means to be a provocateur and why artists can cross certain lines but should cast a wide berth around others. Steve Hyden’s writing has previously appeared in Rolling Stone, The Onion, Slate, The A.V. Club, and Salon. He currently serves as the chief music critic for Grantland.